Malt-O-Meal Company

The Malt-O-Meal Company is a privately-owned American corporation which produces breakfast cereals. Its corporate headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It employs 1,100 people and had estimated sales in 2006 of $490 million.

History

The company was founded in 1919, as the Campbell Cereal Company by John Campbell, a miller in Owatonna, Minnesota. He invented a combination of malted and farina wheat hot breakfast cereal he called Malt-O-Meal. Campbell intended to compete with Cream of Wheat.

In 1927, the company moved production of its cereal to the Ames Mill in Northfield, Minnesota. Nine years later, corporate headquarters were moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in 1953, owners changed the company name to Malt-O-Meal Company.

Attempts in the 1940s to market Campbell's Corn Flakes and in the 1960s to sell State Fair brand Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice, were abandoned in the face of competition.

In the 1970s, the Malt-O-Meal Company once again began making cold cereals which replicated popular brands. These cereals are packaged under Malt-O-Meal's brands and private labels for Kroger, Safeway, Wegmans, and Wal Mart.

The Malt-O-Meal Company is the fifth largest cereal manufacturer in the United States, marketing its cereals in more than 70% of the nation's grocery stores.

It operates three manufacturing plants in Northfield, Minnesota, one in Tremonton, Utah, and one in Asheboro, North Carolina , as well as distribution centers in Grove City, Ohio; Coppell, Texas; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Corporate Governance

The firm is privately owned by members of the Brooks and Fort families, descendants of John Campbell. The vast majority of the stock is owned by the Brooks family which has 3 representatives on the board of directors.

Products

Hot cereals

• Original Flavor
• Chocolate
• Maple & Brown Sugar
• Creamy Hot Wheat

Cold cereals

• Apple Zings (Apple Jacks)
• Berry Colossal Crunch (Crunch Berries)
• Blueberry Muffin Tops
• Cinnamon Toasters (Cinnamon Toast Crunch)
• Cocoa Dyno-Bites (Cocoa Pebbles)
• Coco Roos (Cocoa Puffs)
• Colossal Crunch (Cap'n Crunch)
• Corn Bursts (Corn Pops)
• Crispy Rice (Rice Krispies)
• Frosted Flakes (Kellogg's Frosted Flakes)
• Frosted Mini-Spooners (Frosted Mini-Wheats)
• Fruity Dyno-Bites (Fruity Pebbles)
• Golden Puffs (Golden Crisp)
• Cinnamon Golden Puffs
• Honey and Oat Blenders (Honey Bunches of Oats)
• Honey Buzzers (Honeycomb)
• Honey Graham Squares (Golden Grahams)
• Honey Nut Scooters (Honey Nut Cheerios)
• Marshmallow Mateys (Lucky Charms)
• Puffed Rice (Quaker Puffed Rice)
• Puffed Wheat (Quaker Puffed Wheat)
• Raisin Bran (Kellogg's Raisin Bran)
• Scooters (Cheerios)
• Tootie Fruities (Froot Loops)

Trivia

The company sponsors "Make it with Malt-O-Meal" recipe contests at the Oregon and Arizona State Fairs.

In 2007, Malt-O-Meal took part in the "reverse product placement" marketing campaign for The Simpsons Movie and packaged one of their cereals, Tootie Frooties, as "Krusty-O's". The cereal was sold in 7-Eleven stores across North America along with other The Simpsons Movie related products.

References